LONG POND, Pa. — Restarts get wild at Pocono Raceway. Sometimes, they get too wild.
That was the case between Corey LaJoie and Kyle Busch on a lap 121 restart in Sunday’s (July 14) NASCAR Cup Series race, as a blocking match between the two heading into turn 1 saw LaJoie spin Busch right into oncoming traffic; the resulting accident collected more than a half-dozen cars.
LaJoie got a great launch on the restart, and he immediately darted to the inside of Zane Smith past the start/finish line. LaJoie then set his sights on Busch, but the No. 8 car blocked, and the two made contact.
By this point the field was five-wide, and Busch held his line heading into turn 1 after the initial collision with the No. 7 car. Based on his onboard camera, LaJoie then appeared to turn right heading into the turn, which spun Busch into the grass and back up into traffic.
Both sides were heated on the radio following the collision. LaJoie and members of the No. 7 crew felt that Busch wrecked himself and blocked one too many times.
Busch’s car owner Richard Childress, meanwhile, went scorched earth on LaJoie following the incident.
Busch was out of the race and had the first opportunity to share his side of the story.
It was a side he chose not to share.
“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Busch said.
Busch later said that he saw LaJoie on his inside and that he was trying to keep him at bay.
“You have mirrors and cameras and everything else, so you try to get in front of the run that’s coming,” Busch said. “I was trying to get in front of that run, and sometimes, some [drivers] don’t lift. Kamikaze.”
When asked about the restart, LaJoie said that he had a run and that he didn’t want to be the guy stuck in the middle heading into turn 1.
“I got a big push from the No. 16 (AJ Allmendinger),” LaJoie said. “When you are 20th back there, it’s…
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